Strike Witches : Eastern Defense
by Rin Khoo
Summary: Rein Prizana, a fresh witch from Malaya, has started her journey as a witch to support the defense of Far East Asia as she slowly aim for the top ace witches at there, that was her plan to achieve great military achievements along with her wing mates. (OC Squadron) (Art not mine, it was BookmarkAHead's art)


**[**CHAPTER 1 - Serving as Reserve**]**

It was about 5 years already the Neuroi started to launch attack back again, not a surprise though. Europe and Africa were suffering a lot of battles between humans and the Neuroi. Asia? Here start the story of it.

On 1931, small-scale presence of Neuroi was confirmed in Great Empire Mongol and later Neuroi begin their invasion in 1937, resulting in Britannia and Fuso government started to list Neuroi as main issue. With further invasion of Neuroi in 1939 on Ostmark in Europe, Neuroi had become the world's issue, bringing back the Neuroi War.

* * *

><p>It was noon now in Peninsular Malaya. Most people were having rest or still on working but not for the soldiers serving to fight the Neuroi. At the side of a paddy field, a Bedford QLD truck belonging to Britannia Army was going along the dirt road slowly, heading to an airbase. It was bringing a ton of cargo. Two soldiers in their standard uniform were sitting looking at the front of road with one of them handle the driving.<p>

"It was hot, isn't it? It feel like a furnace at here," the driver complained while adjusting his helmet.

"Better than stuck at the jungle. Do you even know that I had to stuck at there for hours with mud? This was nothing compared to that," his partner shot back while gripping his Lee-Enfield rifle tightly.

"Haha. I don't even know that. But, at least it was better than the front line at China. Tasked at here won't meet death easily," the driver chuckled.

"I agreed with you. I heard that most of the front line soldiers are either dead or injured seriously. I hope I won't be one of them," his partner said while looking at the hard working paddy field worker.

Without the both person noticing since they were chit-chatting, a 15 years old girl was seen sleeping soundly beside some wooden crates with a piece of green cloth as blanket covering her. With a sudden bump, she slowly wake up dazedly with a slow yawn, revealing her short black hair with her left eyes covered a little bit and a pair of crimson red eyes. She was wearing a navy blue RAF service dress that has a 'Flight Lieutenant' insignia with gun holster having a Browning HP handgun in it. Rather than wearing a skirt, she only wear a pair of black stocking that reach her thighs' ends, indicating that she was a witch. She slowly crawls toward the small gaps of the cover and take her head outside to check out the view. When she see the sight of the paddy fields, she begin to sighed.

"Still haven't reach St. Taylor Airbase? It usually take one hour, isn't it?" she begin to muttered.

It already one hour but she still didn't see sight of the airbase. _'Come on, Rein. Isn't it yours choice to save some dollars and take up some risks to sneak into this supply truck?' _she thought as she retreat back to her hiding place. It was since a month after her graduation from the air force academy at Singabara and attained a Flight Lieutenant rank. Now, she was ready for battle and tasked in St. Taylor Airbase as a new squadron, a new one. Wait a minute... How she get that rank AFTER she just graduate? _'How I even get this ass-high-rank anyway? Oh, I remembered. I earn A+ in tactics, combat and piloting skill, right? I hope I didn't do those well but I also didn't want to treated as an idiot. Furthermore, right away I shot down a large Neuroi right away it appeared at the start of my first training, alone. I hope I didn't do that too'_ she thought as she remembered back what she done during her training period. She really hope she didn't do much. To make it worse, her father got involved in this, turning her Sub-Lieutenant rank to Flight Lieutenant, increasing future jobs.

In her middle of day dreaming, the truck suddenly come to a stop, taking off Rein's guard. Slowly, she crawls back to the gap again. This time, she sees guard post. _'Oh yes, finally'_. When the truck begin to pass through the guard post, she quickly jump off the truck with her green dufflebag. She was there, St. Taylor Airbase in Kuantan, Pahang of Malaya. Not much airbase having witches were available in Malaya as it was only a reserve battalion area, mainly tasked for supplying the front line at China. St. Taylor Airbase was one of the airbase which provide military support to the front line and act as the reserve point. Most of the witches currently available at here were either Britinnia witches or Fuso witches. Since 1941, joint military in Asia had conducted between Fuso, Britannia and Liberion.

Anyway, St. Taylor Airbase was like most airbase you can see, supply depots, barracks, hangars, command buildings and even several ports were built at the coast near the airbase. Rein sees the ports not far from her view. HMS Prince of Wales battleship, HMS Repulse battle cruiser and HMS Indomitable aircraft carrier were steadily harbored at their ports with crews loading supplies into the ships.

"Quite a view. Ah, I had to report in first," Rein muttered as she rushed to find the place that she was supposes to report in.

* * *

><p>In a Western style office, a 18 years old Britannia girl, dressed in the standard RAF navy blue uniform, was sitting neatly on her chair, doing her desk works. With her sky blue eyes with spectacles on, she did her works with concentration. <em>'Oh yeah, didn't the new witch is going to arrive around this time? Its already afternoon' <em>she thought while twitching her long blonde hair with her right hand still holding the pen, doing desk works. After a few minutes, a knock was heard on her office's door.

"Come in," she said out while putting down her pen.

The door opens, revealing the new witch that supposes to be here by noon.

"Flight Lieutenant Rein Prizana, reporting in, ma'am. Sorry for the delay," Rein said with a salute to her new commander with her dufflebag strapped around her shoulder.

"Alright, never mind about the delay. This is not urgent, just a simple transfer report. I'm Wing Commander Albertine T. Richote of 59th Joint Asia Air Wing. Please take a seat then," she greeted the new witch with a warm smile.

"Thank you, ma'am," Rein replied as she take up her commander's offer while looking at Albertine with her dufflebag lowered onto the floor.

"It was unfortunate for new witches now, I hope you know the current situation, Mrs Rein," Albertine said while taking out several documents.

Rein take a glance on the map beside her which display the Far East area. Apparently, many blue, red and black points marked with markers were mostly at China's west. "The heavy battles in China... I knew it, Commander," Rein simply stated before looking back at her commander.

"Good. As you can see, most forces were focusing on the Europe and Africa theaters but a little on Asia a few years back. Now, they were focusing on Asia too since the beginning assault from Neuroi on China. Until now, Hainan and Taiwan were acted as frontiers. We were tasked of supplying the force at there through the back or providing additional support for them to hold off Neuroi assaults. If they break through the defense line at China, I can't tell how worse will turn out on the Europe and Africa forces," Albertine said while adjusting her spectacles. "Anyway, you don't seem like a Britannian anyway. I also heard that you came out from the air force academy at Singabara. I wonder why," she continue with her face looking at Rein suspiciously.

Rein begin to nervous as her commander continue to stare at her curiously. "M-My mother was a Fusonian you see," Rein said, trying to calm down the situation around her.

"Your mother is a Fusonian?" Albertine said confusedly.

"My father is a Britannian born in Malaya. With me born in Malaya too, I was an official Malaya citizen. I hope my statement can be understand easily," Rein continue nervously.

Albertine look at her long before retreat back to her seat, "I guess Britannia was desperate in need of soldiers and witches,".

"You can say that. I seen pamphlets about recruiting around the country. Luckily, many Malaya citizen willing to join the force against Neuroi. You must know what is their reason right?" Rein sighed.

"Protecting their homeland... That is what most soldiers of us are thinking, even you, right?" Albertine said with a smile.

Rein only nod.

"Alright. You going to be a squadron leader of 7th Air Witch Division under my unit. It still empty and new without any members expect you. So, you have to go scout for your own members later. Your squadron hangar was at the last of the witches' hangars near the aircraft airlane. Your barrack will be at the back of the hangar, hope the fishy oil smell doesn't bother you," Albertine smiled as she pass the registration form to Rein.

"Great, an empty and new squadron. I went into the wet market and smell fresh fishes for years. Oil ain't going to bother me anyway," Rein said while filling the form.

* * *

><p>It take about 30 minutes to get brief about her new job. For Rein, an empty squadron was not bad at all but trouble went it come to recruiting. She was walking back to her hangar with her dufflebag. When she past through the hangar that was belonged to the 1st Division, she see about 20 witches were gathering around and eating lunch in the middle of the hangar. The witches were made out of Britannians, Fusonians and Liberion.<p>

"Talking about lunch... I haven't any yet... Whatever, I had them in the town," Rein muttered as she hold her stomach.

When she was walking back to her , she sees a carrier and a heavy cruiser not far from the ports. They were IFN Ryūjō aircraft carrier and IFN Mogami heavy cruiser. She seen them before during she still small back in Fuso.

"Finally, Fusonian ships are here," Rein muttered, with a high hope of getting a new members later.

When Rein arrive at her hangar, she open the metallic personnel door and peek inside. Like the others hangar, it filled with crates and other sorts of mechanical stuffs. Smells of oil were present, as said earlier. About 5 Striker Unit modules were lined up, empty expect for one, fitted with black A6M5 Zero Model 52 Striker Unit that came yesterday night. It was the newest model of Fuso Zero Striker Unit and a single unit was bought by Rein's father. Her father always recommended her Fuso Striker Unit rather than Britannia units. Sometimes, he will mention to her about the Liberion P-51 Mustang or the Karlsland Fw 190 but always stick with the A6M Zero models. Rein still doesn't know why her father like Fuso units other than Karlsland or Liberion units.

As she opened the lights, she slowly approach her Striker Units slowly with slow humming. She had field-test the unit before it came here. Feeling no problem and the ease of using, she decided to use it rather than using Britannia Spitfire or other models. She start to hug her Striker Unit after touching it.

"Such gleaming and smoothness... I really prefer to use this rather than the other unit," she muttered happily as she keep on sticking her face on it.

Forget to mention, she was a military nerd or geek since seven. Other than military stuffs, she hates to study, even now but sometimes, she did study in order to fill her needs, like engineering (she want to save her money) and other stuffs (she mastered her Mathematics skill in order not to lose money. Yes, she was a money lover but not on a 'stingy' level).

While keep on admiring her Striker Unit, a voice was heard behind her.

"Excuse me? Are you my squadron leader?" a female voice was heard behind her.

Rein turns her head and see a Fusonian witch. She has a boyish face, black ponytail that was lengthen until her neck and a pair of grey eyes. She wearing the IJN standard white uniform with the 'Ensign' insignia with a khaki colour bag strapped around her. Quickly, Rein hold both of the new witch's shoulders.

"Finally!" Rein said with her eyes staring at her.

"Eh?" the witch look at her confusingly.

Releasing her mistake, Rein free her grip from her and make a fake cough.

"So-Sorry, I was just happy to see a new member. First, identity?" Rein asked.

She quickly offer a salute for me with a cheerful face, "Ensign Kuzunaki Funaki from Imperial Fuso Navy, at your service!".

"Great... A Fusonian I happy to see one, you know?" Rein smiled at her while closing her.

She had put down her hand when Rein start to wrap her arm around Funaki's shoulder with her eyes sticking on her chest. Funaki gulp with her eyes still looking in front steadily.

"Hmh... Average... Like me. Well... Whatever," Rein muttered as she release her grip from Funaki.

"Huh?" Funaki look at Rein clueless.

"Don't worry about that little matter. Where are you Striker Unit for first?" Rein asked her.

"The crews on board of Ryūjō said that the Striker Units on board will sent to their owners in the evening," Funaki replied.

"Great... That means we have time on our lunch. Let's get our bags in our room back there first. Then, we will head toward the town not far from here for lunch," Rein grinned as she start to head toward the barrack.

"Wa-Wait! I had my lunch! Shouldn't we just get lunch from here and do practice?" Funaki called Rein.

Rein look at her with a calm face and said, "No missions on schedule today as I heard. The squadron that will be tasked for guarding is the 3rd Division, not us. And, remember that we are reserve witches, stand-by for the front line witches. And, I haven't get my LUNCH!".

* * *

><p><strong>[AN]: **_Bruh... Done... After deciding no bulls- I mean... After deciding no interaction with non-OCs to make story easier to write, I planned this down with several inspirations from recent stories like '522nd Citadel Witches : Far East Conflict' story by 'BookmarkAHead', just one chapter and it changed me. So, special thanks to that guy for giving me an opportunity to change the shitty of mine, the hiatus and deleted 'Strike Witches : The Newest Frontier' story. Even though I change the plot of story, I still a beginning writer that trying to works on better works. Currently, the best of all my works (what I feel) was the 'The Coldness' fan-fiction story. Anyway, thanks for reading and hope you like it. Thanks to Bucue on helping me in name of countries._


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